


Flower a Day

by pietrosminimoff



Series: Billy and Teddy's Excellent Adventures [2]
Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: After v2, Flowers, Fluff, Language of Flowers, M/M, Post-Break Up, Teddy is in love, ripavengers Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 10:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19423735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pietrosminimoff/pseuds/pietrosminimoff
Summary: After Billy and Teddy have gotten back together, things are a little bit awkward. But a flower a day helps the love to stay.





	Flower a Day

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ripavengers prompts on Twitter and Tumblr.

When Teddy said he needed space, he meant it. A breakup isn’t really the easiest thing to get over. Things were _very_ awkward between him and Billy for the first few weeks. It was… weird. They didn’t exactly stop talking or act awkwardly, it just felt that way. Billy kind of grew quieter, which in of itself was weird. Neither of them really knew what to say, even though it was their love that had saved the freaking universe. 

Then Billy got a job. He started working at an animal shelter on 59th, because god forbid he work with people. Even just the idea of it spiked his anxiety. But animal shelters? He loved dogs and cats. Simple. He didn’t really _need_ a job, not really. Billy’s dad made well over five hundred grand a year, so the whole family was well provided for. He would probably even pay for the apartment the young couple was saving up for. But there was something so freeing about paying for their own apartment, the independence it showed. So he got a job to save up. Teddy, however, wanted to focus on being a superhero, and that was fine with both of them. He could be Billy’s trophy boyfriend.

It started slowly, gradually, probably a week after Billy’s first paycheck. Teddy had been out all night punching criminals, so he went to bed pretty late. Billy had already been fast asleep, curled up on his side with a pillow hugged to his chest, and the shapeshifter couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the pillow. But the sight was incredibly endearing. He flopped down on the bed, his bruises and cuts healing already, and maybe Billy hadn’t been as asleep as originally suspected, because soon the pillow was gone and the witch was cuddling up to Teddy instead. 

The next afternoon, when Teddy woke up, the spot next to him was empty, but on the bedside table, there was a small vase with a single red tulip in it and a small plate of pancakes next to it. They were probably cold at this point, but the gesture itself was sweet. There were delicately cut strawberries on the top around a swirl of whipped cream. Teddy’s favorite. He reached for the plate and noticed a little note card underneath it. _‘I love you’_ was scrawled on it in Billy’s handwriting, and a small smile spread across his face. He left the flower in the vase as he ate, admiring it and trying to figure out a way to surprise his boyfriend back.

By the time Billy got home from work, the flower had been hidden, and neither of them mentioned it. They _did_ talk more that evening, and Teddy even put on _The Sound of Music_ for them to watch as Billy talked about his day.

The following morning, there were two flowers in a tall cup of water; maybe Billy hadn’t expected Teddy to keep the vase. The flowers were a red rose and a white rose. There was no breakfast, but there was a mug of coffee. And another note card. _‘Unity’_ was all it said. Flower language? He put them with the tulip.

Again, no one mentioned the flowers. But the kisses were more frequent and longer, and the hugs were tighter.

The flowers showed up for days. While Billy was at work, Teddy tended to them every day, trying to make sure their lifespan was extended for his plan. He changed the water, made sure they got sun during the day, and they seemed healthy. After about a week and a half of constant flowers, he felt like he had enough. 

Most of the flowers were tulips and roses, with a few carnations in the mix. Teddy had a bit of money saved up, so he went to a florist and bought a cluster of Stephanotis flowers. They were Madagascar jasmines, and often used in weddings. The meaning meant ‘happiness in marriage’, according to a website he had found. Shortly before he knew Billy would be getting home, he set to work arranging the bouquet. The roses and tulips went around the edges, because those were in abundance. The carnations went closer to the middle, then the jasmines went in the middle. It looked cute to Teddy. The white in the middle was a nice contrast to the alternating pinks and reds of the carnations and fit the pattern of the occasional white roses of the outer flowers. He admired his work for a moment, and then he heard the door open.

“Teddy?” His voice was gentle and calming and, just, everything. It always was, ever since they had met. Teddy turned around, keeping the bouquet behind his back. Billy looked tired. His eyes seemed to hold little energy, and his hair was ruffled carelessly. And he was the most beautiful man on earth. “What’s behind your back?”

“Uhh… Nothing!” Teddy lied. He was always bad at lying to Billy. Maybe because they had been together for so long, or maybe because he cared too much about him to ever lie. It was not helpful in situations like these.

“Really? Because it looks like you’re hiding something.” There was a gleam of amusement in Billy’s captivating hazel eyes. Teddy took his hand, careful to keep the flowers out of sight.

Then he dropped to one knee.

“Billy Kaplan, I love you more than anything in this world. Or other ones, for that matter. Things have been kind of weird between us lately, and that’s okay. We have our ups and downs, but what matters is that… We love each other. Till death do us part.” He took a deep breath and presented the bouquet. The look on Billy’s face made… _everything_ worth it. The subtle watery gleam in his eyes, the arching of his brow, the part in his lips. Teddy wanted to paint him, immortalize him on a canvas so that the whole world could see Billy how Teddy did. 

Billy took the flowers from him and Teddy stood, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. It wasn’t hard to tell that Billy was crying.

“Till death do us part.”


End file.
